Richmond Hill, Ontario

Richmond Hill, Ontario

Introduction

Richmond Hill is a densely populated region in the Greater Toronto area with under 186,000 residents. The town is home to the world-famous David Dunlap Observatory Telescope, the largest telescope in Canada.

A Brief History

The area in which Richmond Hill now stands was first populated by Paleo Indians. Archaeological artefacts found in the region have been dated at 1800 BC. The Iroq people later occupied the area for many centuries, with a settlement in the area with at least eleven Iroq buildings dating to around 1450 AD. The Iroqs left the region around 1550.

On September 23rd 1787, the Toronto Purchase took place, in which the British purchased land from the Mississauga Indians. The Munshaw family were the first to settle in the area, followed by around two hundred people from New York and Pennsylvania.

In 1801 the area was known as Miles' Hill, but by the mid 1820's it had been renamed Richmond Hill. There are two theories as to the origin of the name. One is that it was named after Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond after he visited the area, and the other is that it was named after Richmond Hill in England, following the popularisation of the song 'The Lass of Richmond Hill' by local schoolteacher Benjamin Barnard.

In 1896 the arrival of the electric train brought great change to Richmond Hill, by considerably reducing the time it took to reach Toronto. As the twentieth century dawned, Toronto continued to expand, and Richmond Hill became a suburb.